Bombardier unveils new PRIMOVE application

Written by
Luther S. Miller, Senior Consulting Editor

In Berlin Thursday, Bombardier Transportation unveiled a new application for both rail and road transit of what it described as its "game-changing" PRIMOVE system, applicable to rail and bus public transit.

The PRIMOVE system transfers power without the use of overhead wires. It has been installed in a pilot demonstration area of the Augsburg, Germany, tram network.

Bombardier said the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building, and Urban Development is funding an electric bus project in the city of Braunschweig, where Bombardier will apply PRIMOVE.

Bombardier said PRIMMOVE "is based on the principle of inductive power transfer and allows electric vehicles to be recharged either in motion or idled.

"The system transfers energy at very high levels of efficiency without compromising on performance and can significantly reduce energy consumption when combined with an onboard energy storage solution," said Bombardier. "By eliminating the overhead cables and other wires previously needed to power electric vehicles, mass transit networks can now blend in effortlessly with their surroundings."